Picking the winners of each game of the Pac 12 Tournament

Brian Swinney

03/07/2016

Quick Preview of and predictions for the Pac 12 Tournament

It was a topsy-turvy Pac 12 season, but by the end, we saw the cream rise to the top with the 4 teams predicted in the preseason to finish at the top of the standings did just that. The problem? They finished in reverse order of their preseason nod as The Oregon Ducks took the crown, Utah finishing second, Cal in third, and Arizona in 4th.

The Pac 12 was/is as deep as it's been since the league's inception with 5 teams locks for the tournament as the four mentioned above, along with Colorado, will surely get in. Oregon State and USC are both strong possibilities where one win in the conference tournament should get them in, and two would make them near locks, especially the Beavers. 10 teams though enter the tournament with a realistic chance of winning it. It's not too often that you have a program as talented and dangerous as UCLA as the 10th seed, Stanford has the size and hot shooting at time that can knock better teams off, and Washington scores at will. These aren't your typical 9 and 8 seeds. Stillm having to win four games in four days is a daunting task, and even with the 'upsets' we saw all season long in the conference, the top four teams are playnig better than anyone else heading into the conference tournament.

Picking the First Round Winners

5) Colorado over 12) Washington State

6) Oregon State over 11) Arizona State

10) UCLA over 7) USC

9) Stanford over 8) Washington

Picking the Quarterfinal Winners

1) Oregon over 9) Stanford

4) Arizona over 5) Colorado

3) Cal over 6) Oregon State

2) Utah over 10) UCLA

Picking The Semifinal Winners

1) Oregon over 3) Arizona

2) Utah over 3) Cal

Picking the Champion

2) Utah

The Utes are playing as well as any team in the conferene, have the conference's best player, will travel their fans to Las Vegas better than Oregon, and it's hard to beat a good team 3 times in one year.